Fastening device



March 10, 1959 s s s 2,876,518

FASTENING DEVICE Filed Sept. 24, 1954 lNvENToR: 'STUARTT. SHEARS,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 2,876,518 FASTENING DEVICE Stuart T. Shears, Belmont, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-153) This invention relates generally to binders, and has particular reference to a fastening device for retaining card case elements in assembly with a cover element, and to a card case assembly utilizing such a fastening device.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastening device for use in a card case assembly which readily permits assembly and disassembly of card carrying elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a card case assembly having means for readily assembling or disassembling card carrying elements which is so constructed as to prevent accidental release of the means retaining the card carrying elements in place.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fastening device embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a card case assembly utilizing the fastener of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in section similar to Fig. 3 showing the method of assembly of the retaining bar;

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a view in section similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the position of the retaining bar when fewer card carrying elements are used.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a card case assembly 10, which comprises a cover element 12 and a group of card receiving elements 14 assembled therewith by means of a fastening device 16. The cover element and the card receiving elements are foldable transversely at the medial portion, and are provided with spaced openings 18 in the medial portion near the opposite side edges.

The fastener 16 comprises a back portion 20 disposed on the outer side of the cover and extending between the openings 18 therein, a pair of legs 22 and 24 extending upwardly from opposite ends of the back portion through the openings 18 therein, and a retaining bar 26 extending between the legs above the uppermost card carrying element. The legs 22 and 24 are provided with apertures 28 and 30 disposed therein in spaced relation to the back portion 20, and to facilitate assembly of the retaining bar, the leg 22 is provided with an outwardly turned portion 32 which is transversely rounded to provide a guide channel 34 leading to the aperture 28.

The retaining bar 26 is preferably formed of a fiat strip of metal which may have a longitudinal embossment for strength, and has a pair of protruding end portions 36 and 38 which have a width greater than their thickness so as to have a rectangular cross-section. The apertures 28 and 30 have a corresponding configuration so that when the end portions 36 and 38 are disposed in the apertures, the retaining bar is non-rotatable therein. The protruding end portions 36 and 38 are disposed to one side of the center axis of the retaining bar the legs, one projecting end portion 38 is inserted into the aperture 30 in the leg 24, and the other end of the bar is forced downwardly so that the protruding end enters the guide channel 34, flexing the leg 22 outwardly until the protruding end portion 36' snaps into the aperture 28.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, if three or more card receiving elements are to be retained, the retaining bar should be assembled with the side 42 against the uppermost element, with the medial portion 44 confining the card receiving elements and the cover element tightly against the center portion of the back. Since the card carrying elements are frequently slightly thicker at the edges than at the center, the provision of the projecting medial portion 44 insures that the elements will be gripped at the center portion, so that the back is retained in a slightly flexed condition whereby the legs 22 and 24 are inclined slightly toward each other to insure that the retaining bar will not become accidentally disengaged.

If fewer than three card receiving elements are to be retained, the retaining bar may be assembled between the legs with the smooth edge 40 bearing against the uppermost card receiving element, and the greater distance of the edge 40 from the line connecting the protruding end portions accommodates the lesser thickness of the card carrying elements.

The outwardly turned portion 32 of the leg 22, in addition to providing means for guiding the end of the retaining bar into position, also provides means for readily releasing the retaining bar, by forcing the portion 32 outwardly until the protruding end portion is released from the aperture 28.

The fastening device hereinebefore illustrated and described is particularly adapted for use in card case assemblies. It is readily adapted to other uses where it is desired to releasably bind a plurality of elements.

Since certain obvious changes may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention,

it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A binder fastening device of the class described formed entirely from two single pieces of metal adapted to be assembled with a support solely by the construction of said pieces, one of said pieces having an elongated back portion and a leg extending from each end of the back portion to pass through spaced apertures in a support, each leg having an aperture spaced from the back portion, the second piece comprising an elongated bar having protruding projections at its opposite ends for entering the apertures in said legs to hold the bar in assembly between said legs, one of said legs including an inclined portion above its aperture curving outwardly away from the opposite leg, said inclined portion having a transversely grooved cross-section to provide a guide channel leading to the aperture for automatically guiding one projecting portion of the bar into the aperture after the other projecting portion of the bar has been inserted into the aperture in the other leg.

2. A binder fastener in accordance with claim 1 in which the bar is substantially flat and comprises an elongated central portion with the projecting portions at opposite ends, said end projecting portions being positioned to one side so that the opposite side edges are spaced at unequal distances from the projecting portions of the bar, said projecting portions also including opposing surfaces adapted for keyed engagement in the apertures in the legs in two positions disposed 180 apart, whereby when the bar is disposed in one position in the leg fastener memher the distance between the bar and the back portion is substantially different than when the bar is in the other position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 563,525 Wende July 7, 1896 4 Beckett May 9, 1911 Turner Mar. 16, 1915 Turner Mar. 27, 1917 Polkko Sept. 10, 1929 Adams Aug. 23, 1932 Broughton Mar. 29, 1955 England June 19, 1956 Osher July 2, 1957 

